A Second Chance
by Nikita1506
Summary: My idea of what should've happened during/after "The Pain in the Heart"...Rated for language


My idea of what should've happened during/after "The Pain in the Heart"…total B/B shipper…

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From his position with the color guard, Seeley Booth watched Temperance Brennan carefully. Her face was composed, her eyes dry. Did she care nothing for him? Surely with everything they'd been through he deserved a few tears. Angela dabbed at her eyes, Hodgins arm around her to keep her steady. Cam and Caroline both had silent tears running down their cheeks, even Zach looked upset. But not Bones. He watched as the Squint Squad all placed roses on his coffin, Brennan last in line. She stood before the coffin for a few minutes before placing a hand on it and bending down to kiss the wood. As she stood again, Booth saw the tears fall from her face, and her calm façade had crumbled to nothing.

"Good bye Seeley," she whispered brokenly.

Turning, she walked away, leaving the gravesite before she had to watch them lower his body into the ground. Booth desperately wanted to keep his eyes on her, but his mark had made himself known. As the two grappled, everyone gasped. Booth was breathing heavily as he cuffed the man. He watched as the man was led away, then turned to see the squints staring at him.

"Hey guys," he said smiling.

Angela strode forward, but instead of hugging Booth like he thought she was going to, she slapped him hard across the face.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked.

"For making my best friend cry!" Angela shouted at him, anger in her eyes.

"What are you talking about? She barely shed a few tears," Booth argued.

"No Booth," Cam interrupted quietly as Hodgins led Angela away, "Since you 'died' two weeks ago, Brennan hasn't come into work. I had to lie to Director Cullen and tell him she was ill and taking some time off. And everytime one of us went to make sure she was alright, she was crying. She hasn't eaten, she's barely slept. She won't even talk to Angela," Cam paused as all this sunk in, "You should've told her."

Not waiting for an answer, Cam turned away from him and walked away.

That night, Booth tried calling Brennan, but just kept getting her voicemail and her answering machine at her house. He'd tried going over and pounding on the door to no avail. She wasn't answering. When he walked into the Jeffersonian the next day, he saw Zach on the platform with Cam, the two talking seriously and looking upset about something. Booth looked around, but found no sign of Brennan.

"Hey," he said, swiping his card and climbing onto the platform, "Where's Bones?" he asked.

"Not coming in," Cam said, still angry with him.

"Do you know where she is?" Booth asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"She quit," Cam told him.

"What? When?" Booth asked her, shock coloring his features.

"Apparently late last night or very early this morning. I found her resignation on my desk when I came in, and when I went into her office, it was cleaned out."

That was when Dr. Sweets came into the room.

"Hello everyone," he said cheerfully.

Booth rounded on him, murder in his eyes, "Why didn't you tell her?!" he shouted.

Cam and Zach blinked in surprise at the fury in Booth's voice.

"What are you talking about Booth?" Cam asked him.

"I gave Director Cullen a list of people to tell I wasn't dead, Bones was on it. He told me this morning that he'd given it to Sweets here to have him call them all," Booth said, pinning Sweets with an ice cold glare.

"You?" Cam demanded, rounding on Sweets, "You're the reason we've all gone through this bullshit?!"

Sweets mouth dropped open, surprise clear in his eyes, "Dr. Saroyan," he started, but she interrupted him.

"Dr. Brennan has quit, Dr. Sweets, and no one can find her. She's not answering her home or cell phone and upon Angela calling me before Seeley came in, I found out she's not at home either. You know what she's been going through! You've heard us all talking about the way she's been acting! No one knows where she is and with the state of mind she's been in lately don't be surprised if she does something stupid," she raged at him, "Anything that happens to her is on your head _Doctor_ Sweets, so I hope for your sake she doesn't do anything to herself."

Booth shoved past them both, pulling his cell phone out and punching in the dispatch number as he ran out of the Jeffersonian, "I need to put out an APB on Dr. Temperance Brennan. Be advised, she's in a fragile state of mind, do not approach," he growled before hanging up the phone and jumping into his SUV.

He drove around, trying to find places that Bones might go without any luck. When his cell phone rang, he answered, snapping out curtly;

"Booth!"

"_Detective Booth, we think we might've found Dr. Brennan,"_ came the answer.

"Where is she?" he asked, pulling a U-turn.

"_We found a credit card transaction for a flight to Maine. Upon calling the airline, it was confirmed she was on the flight."_

"Get me on the next flight to Maine, I don't care what it takes."

"_Yes sir,"_ the agent said before hanging up.

Booth quickly punched in Rebecca's number, knowing she was going to chew him out for cancelling his weekend with his son.

"Rebecca its Seeley, I need a favor," he said when she picked up.

"_Sure, what's going on? Is everything alright?"_

"I can't take Parker this weekend. Brennan was never told that I wasn't dead and now she's gone. Angela said that she's afraid she's going to hurt herself. I need to go find her and explain. Please tell Parker I'm sorry and that I'll make it up to him. I swear," he explained.

On the other end of the line, Rebecca Stinson paled as she listened to Booth explain. She knew, even if he didn't, how much he cared for Dr. Brennan.

"_Of course,"_ she said, _"Find her Seeley. Before something happens. I'll explain everything to Parker."_

"Thank you," he said, hanging up the phone.

Booth raced to his apartment, parked, and ran to pack. As he was throwing things into his duffel, his phone rang again.

"Booth!" he snapped out, zipping his bag shut.

"_It's Cullen."_

"Sir," Booth said, slightly out of breath.

"_Have you found Dr. Brennan?"_

"There was a credit card transaction for a flight to Maine, it's been confirmed that she was on the flight." Booth answered.

"_And you're going after her."_

"Sir," Booth started, but Cullen interrupted him.

"_That wasn't a question Agent Booth. It was my mistake in asking Dr. Sweets to let the people on your list know you were still alive. You go find her, bring her back to us."_

"Yes Sir," Booth answered, breathing a sigh of relief.

He hung up the phone and rushed to the airport. He fidgeted as he sat, waiting for the flight to take off. It was due to leave in ten minutes. He had to get to Bones before anything happened to her. He felt, deep down, that if something did happen to her, it would be his fault.

Temperance Brennan stood silently, staring out over the Atlantic Ocean. The wind blew cold, making her shiver slightly as she pulled her shawl closer around her body. Since Booth died, she'd found herself losing interest in everything that had once been important to her. Her work, her book. None of it meant anything anymore. She sighed as she watched the sun continue to set, Booth had once told her that it was a sight that you couldn't be told about, that you had to experience. Tears pooled in her eyes and she wished he could've been there with her. She would give anything to have him back. Going into the Jeffersonian hurt her so badly; she couldn't look around the place without seeing Booth there; so she'd taken the cowards way out and given her resignation, cleaning out her office before anyone had come in so she wouldn't have to face them. Slowly, she sank down onto the sand to cry. She felt as though that was all she had done since the doctor had come out of surgery and told them all Booth had died on the table. Knowing it was useless to try and stop the tears, she let them come, while on the inside screaming and cursing the God that Booth had believed in. She'd gone to see Parker, with Rebecca's permission, before she left, and had hugged the little boy tightly.

"_Parker," she said, "I'm going away for a little while. It's been very hard for me since your Daddy's been gone. When I come back, I'll take you out and we'll have our very own Bones and Parker day."_

_Parker had nodded solemnly, though he wondered why his Daddy hadn't told Dr. Bones that he was okay._

"_Don't worry," he said, hugging her back, "Daddy'll be back soon."_

_Tears welled in her eyes. She thought Parker didn't realize that his father wasn't coming back. She kissed his cheek and stood, thanking Rebecca for letting her see Parker before she left._

Eyes now dry, Bones stood and brushed off her pants. She heard the sand crunch behind her, but paid no attention to whomever it was that was trying to interrupt her solitude. Only last night, a man had come up to her.

"_I've seen you out here for the last few hours," he'd said, "Is everything alright?"_

_Brennan nodded, "Yes."_

_It wasn't this man's business that she'd just lost the man she loved whole-heartedly. The man who, without him, she wouldn't know what love was._

"_I'm Robert," he said, with a charming smile._

"_Temperance," she replied, shaking his hand._

"_I hope this isn't too forward, but I'd like to take you to dinner sometime, if you're staying for a while."_

_Brennan smiled sadly at him, "I'm sorry," she said, "I just lost the man I was in love with, I'm not really up to going to dinner with anyone."_

_Robert's smile fell off his face, "I'm so sorry," he said._

_Brennan looked out over the water again, tears welling in her eyes, "So am I."_

The person stood a few steps behind her, and she could feel their gaze on her back. She wasn't expecting to hear his voice, though she wondered why, since it was all she heard since he passed away.

"Temperance," Booth said softly.

She stiffened, but didn't turn around. She was afraid to see even a memory of him. A warm hand covered her shoulder, and she almost broke down.

"Bones," he said.

She gasped and whirled around, eyes covered in tears.

"Please," she whispered.

Booth gathered her in his arms, holding her tightly as she broke down. They sank onto the sand together.

"I'm so sorry Bones," he whispered, holding her as close to him as he could.

He whispered over and over again as she cried, clinging to him.

"You're real, you're alive," she said, looking up into his face.

Booth's eyes searched hers as she lifted a shaky hand to his cheek.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

Brennan rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat. He was alive, and he was here with her. She closed her eyes, feeling her heart lift from the darkness it had been enshrouded in. He was warm against her body, his pulse pounded beneath her ear and she could hear him whispering to her. Brennan felt like the luckiest woman on earth, she'd gotten a second chance with the man she loved. This time, she wouldn't waste it. She lifted her head from his chest, looking into his deep chocolate eyes.

"I love you," she whispered.

Booth leaned down and kissed her softly, making her sigh beneath his lips. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you too Bones," he whispered back.


End file.
